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Childhood sexual abuse. Women's health when starting in group therapy

Author

  • Gunilla Lundqvist
  • Carl Göran Svedin
  • Kjell Hansson

Summary, in English

Childhood sexual abuse has been shown to be common among adult women, 15-30% in prevalence studies, and among mentally ill women, 25-77%. These women often suffer from depression, anxiety, sexual and relationship problems. Suicide attempts and self-destructive behaviour are common. Within the Department of Psychiatry at Lund University Hospital, 45 women with experiences of childhood sexual abuse were offered a 2-year-long trauma-focused group therapy. They were well educated but 27% were unemployed. Nearly half of the group had made suicide attempts, 87% had had suicidal thoughts and, according to the questionnaire SCL-90, they were suffering from psychiatric symptoms significantly to a greater degree than both a general group and a clinical group with mixed diagnoses. According to the questionnaire ISSI, they were less well socially integrated than both a general group and a clinical group, and the degree of social adjustment according to the questionnaire SAS-SR was lower than in a general group. The study shows that childhood sexually abused women seeking therapy are a symptom-burdened group. These women probably need psychiatric treatment of a particular character. Special group therapy for these women can potentially improve their health.

Publishing year

2004

Language

English

Pages

25-32

Publication/Series

Nordic Journal of Psychiatry

Volume

58

Issue

1

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Informa Healthcare

Topic

  • Psychiatry

Keywords

  • Group therapy
  • Sexual abuse
  • Women's health

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1502-4725